Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony A77

On this page, we are looking at the Olympus XZ-1 versus Sony A77, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and A77 (24MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and A77 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The XZ-1 was revealed 9 months earlier than the A77 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A77 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise overview of how the XZ-1 grades against the A77 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-1 and Sony SLT-A77. The full galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Sony A77 Gallery.

In case you're intending to travel with your camera often, you will have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-1 features outer measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) and the Sony A77 has sizing of 143mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") having a weight of 732 grams (1.61 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus XZ-1 versus Sony A77 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are working with during that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the XZ-1 and the A77.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-1 and A77 is 88 and 59 respectively.

Often, it can be hard to see the contrast between sensor dimensions just by looking at a spec sheet. The image here may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the XZ-1 and A77.

Clearly, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-1 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony A77 will give more detail because of its extra 14 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The more aged XZ-1 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.